UP IN SMOKE? Arum Aims For Martinez-Chavez II In the Spring

Manny Pacquiao chats with promoter Bob Arum during a Wednesday press conference to hype the Dec. 8 Pacquiao-Marquez IV card, in Las Vegas. Arum told TSS before the event that he'd like a Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.-Sergio Martinez rematch to take place in the spring. (Ed Diller-Top Rank)

UPDATE: It looks like Julio Cesar Chavez tested positive for marijuana, so all plans might be changed. ESPN's Dan Rafael confirmed rumors that JCC tested positive, at 6:30 PM. A Top Rank spokesman offered me a "no comment" when I asked for confirmation before that.

Promoter Bob Arum chatted with TSS before the Pacquiao-Marquez press conference in NYC kicked off on Wednesday late morning. He said that he's aiming to put on a rematch between Julio Cesar Chavez and Sergio Martinez in the spring, in Las Vegas. He said he wanted to put the fight in Texas, but Martinez, who won a UD12 decision on Sept. 15 against the son of the legend, and had to scramble to clear his head after getting knocked down in round twelve, nixed Texas as the fightsite.

The promoter, who termed Junior's showing "pathetic" after Martinez dominated the vast majority of the middleweight tangle, reiterated that the kid had no gameplan, and that moving forward, he needs to have a proper, serious training camp. He did laud the kid for showing cajones, however. Trainer Freddie Roach told me that he should have clamped down on Junior from the start, when he blew off a training session, and said that next go round, he will step away the minute Junior blows off training.

1 to 10, how hard did he train? "3," Roach said. He said Junior wanted to be fresh for the fight, and mostly concentrated on making weight. "For some reason he wanted to be the boss, and that's what happened," he said. "I thought we lost 11 rounds and we won one, and I'm not really satisfied with that," he said. He said the kid came thisclose to the greatest comeback of all time.

For fans who say there is no cause for a rematch, Arum told me these people are probably not Hispanics. He said probably 80% of the PPV buys came from Hispanics, and he said anglos were welcome to watch UFC, or whatever else they wanted. The promoter said Martinez would make more money from a rematch with Chavez than a fight with Miguel Cotto. Same thing for a Martinez-Mayweather fight--Arum said Martinez would get more fighting Chavez again. And if Team Martinez wants a 50-50 split? Arum said he considers Martinez' promoter Lou DiBella and advisor Sampson Lewkowicz smart and reasonable people, and he is confident they can work out terms.

I think we all saw this coming. Good for Roach, dump Chavez if he's not gonna show respect and take boxing seriously...And if he does focus 100% and fights with more urgency/confidence, it could be a different fight from the first. The kid just needs to let his hands go.

deepwater says:

makes sense due to $$$. Chavez lost but he wasnt knocked down and absorbed sergios punches. not alot of guys could of hung in there. chavez hung in there and had sergio knocked out but just couldnt finish him. the questions remain, "Can sergio knock out chavez this time or stop him? can jr start earlier and close the show? more people want those 2 questions answered. a stacked card at cowboy stadium will bring in the most $$ for these 2. thats the reality

deepwater says:

chavez smoking the good stuff. jeez. sergio should be upset he hit a lazy pothead with everything he had and still got clipped and almost lost the fight. maybe sr is mixing it in with his smokes.

Buzz Murdock says:

Chavez is the Bob Marley of boxing.Edgy fighters tell him he will suffer more than he's ever suffered, Chavez smiles, saying nonchalantly,"You don't know me." He's proved his point, brutally in a an unforgiving sport without malice. Dumb *** commissions that can't differentiate from performance enchancing synthetic drugs, and weed, ungratful promoters that talk about focus when a guy a stays with it for 12 rounds almost pulling off an upset, trainers who want to be the boss,and a destiny that will cannibilize you...are in Julio's crystal ball...But being an independent thinker (same sign as Marley, Aquarius), I hope he takes the three million, disappears in Jamacia, and never boxes again... Otherwise he ought to fight Martinez in Texas for 15 Million, get Nacho Bernstein as a trainer, train in the high altitude of Mexico, tell Nevada to kiss his ***, make the fight at at a catch-weight of 165 (you want the money or not Sergio), and put the fear of gawd in Martinez by thrashing his ***...all in good sportmanship ofcourse. In other words get off the kid's back, and stop calling him Junior---He almost just knocked out the best fighter pound for pound (definetly the most unorthodox), trained in his livingroom, and smoked weed----Chavez is a different Jondra, either you get it or you don't.

puncher says:

First of all I'M HISPANIC and Bob Arum is wrong. Maybe the Mexican folks will like to see a rematch and I would not blame them. Now the rest as I know (and I know many) say that there is no need until Jr shows that he deserves it. Yes he did put SM down...but many others have done that as well. Jr was outmatched and outclassed by a boxer with a bum knee before the fight. Just imagine if he had the knee 100%. Everybody is talking about his cojones this and that...what about the cojones that SM had taking on a bigger fighter, making him look like a rookie, changing his face into a Jason look a like and being able to trade at the end with him even when he was hurt.

Money may be the only reason SM gets in the ring with him. A better fight would be SM against Ward or Cotto. Now that would be a fight!

Radam G says:

WOW! I guess somebody speaks for all the "HISPANIC!" NYET! A rematch is warrant. "Face into a Jason" or bursted-up eyelids and cranium, as the SOAL JCCJ did to SM or not. Not to mention, weed-smoking Junior caused SM to fudge up both of his old-arse, ragged knees.

Maybe the ancient one need a few moon to heal. And maybe his won't heal. Yall know da DEAL! Hehehe! Holla!

puncher says:

WOW! I guess somebody speaks for all the "HISPANIC!" NYET! A rematch is warrant. "Face into a Jason" or bursted-up eyelids and cranium, as the SOAL JCCJ did to SM or not. Not to mention, weed-smoking Junior caused SM to fudge up both of his old-arse, ragged knees.

Maybe the ancient one need a few moon to heal. And maybe his won't heal. Yall know da DEAL! Hehehe! Holla!

In my neck of the woods...yes I do...just like Bobby Arum does who knows mierda. A rematch is warranted why? Because he took him down at the last moment? What happened for 11 1/2 rounds? In fact after he took him down he still could not finish him...I wonder why. SM fought with a torn meniscus done before the fight...not during it and still Jason could not catch him.

To me a rematch is warrented when he earns like it should be. Beat the ones on the top and then go from there. We all know that Jr does not want that because he knows that there are many that will make him look like Jason again...not the Lee's of the world!

Saludos!

donputo69 says:

Holla back my peepz....Im back....Just got out of cell C.74 in Rikers island....But im good now....Hope i can stay out of this bu11$3it streets in bklyn....Anyway....I heard my boy Cotto is gonna fight some dude named trout? What in the sam hell?....lol....I also heard that my boy Cotto put a whooping on scareweather's ***....But he lost the decision....Damn judges....And Pacquiao losing to bradley was a joke i heard....Smh....Anyway....Gotta go do my 100 pushups now...talk to ya later....holla back!!!!

Carvalho says:

We shouldn't be talking about Chavez Jr. as a professional fighter any more. Presumably he has tested positive twice: in serious professional sport that frequently means being banned for life. Boxing can't be considered a serious sport when we perceive rules don't mean anything when there's big business involved: absurd decisions, fighters who don't make weight being allowed to fight, cheaters like Margarito getting mega-bouts, thousands of pointless organizations inventing the craziest titles, world champions able to duck legitimate opponents... Imagine Usain Bolt testing positive for any substance and being allowed to run the Olympics because Puma or Visa have invested millions, or telling Justin Gatlin to run another race because if he wins it's not quite as marketable, or the judges telling Blake when he's won the race that they have decided he came second when the repetiton clearly shows that it's not true, and getting away with it...? Of course you can't, and it is saddening to have to endure the pre-fight nonsense: the childish title of most fights, the compulsory trash-talking of somebody who has been told to act like the perfect villain when he is a terrible actor, Max Kellerman in the face-off, a great part of the public who behave like cattle... it's like being forced to eat the most delicious supper in a dirty toilet.

brownsugar says:

Forget about Baby-Boy ever fighting Martinez again. after failing the pre and post fight drug test, by testing positive both times for pot,... Chavez will be lucky if he can fight again within the next year.

How much better will he get? Hard to say now.

How much will his ability to perform be hindered by his frequent flights of Canibus Fantasy?

I dare say he's at his peak right now... We have probably seen the best of Chavez Jr already ..... and he's still a ways below the status quo when you compare him to the real world, real-life-Elite-Class-middle weights who forgo temtations at the sacrificial training alter in order to be the best.... and pass the test.

When the Smokey Haze finally clears.... about of year from now.... it's almost a sure thing Junior will have munched his way up to the less challenging but still dangerously serious lightheavy weight division... Forcing his brainstrust to cautiously negotiate their way thru a minefield of heavy punchers (and cruiserweight rejects)..... with an enchanted dousing rod.... in order to successfully chart a path back for Junior to get his hands on another belt.

Will the One-hit, pipe-hitting-Wonder still be able to climb his way back to the top again?

It would be a difficult hill for even a well disciplined athlete to climb.

Personally.......... having made a living from the sale and marketing of pot several decades ago. I could care less about Chavez's drug use. They should have decriminalized the drug ages ago. It would most certainly put a cease to the bloody gang-wars across the Mexican-U.S borders in a way that drug enforcement agencies have not... and inject trillions of tax dollars into the ailing United States economy while putting the bad guys out of business.

Prices would come down, and money spent enforcing the drug war could be spent on education.

I don't condone drug use...Pot makes you SOFT..... personally I havent touched the stuff in at least a decade or 2. But if medical researchers can find a way to develop a real time test for drivers (to enforce the many traffic violations that will be committed by younger users) The drug should be decriminalized.

But it should be written.... in every professional fighters "Bible of TSS" THOU SHALT NOT TOKE AND TRAIN!!!. NO law should be have to be passed or drug test given to make fighters conscious of the fact that Pot and boxing don't mix.

Too Bad,... Junior could have added to his family's legacy had he not had his head trapped in the Canibus laden Clouds. ....

Radam G says:

It takes one PUNCH, and there is long history trail of that. I'm reminded of how Jersey Joe Walcott beat the stuffing out of Rocky Marciano for 12 rounds. But in round 13, the ROCK landed that punch and the claimed-to-be 38-year-old JJW was never the same again. And what about "Big" John Tale? He whipped da hebejeebeez outta Mike Weaver for 14 rounds and 3/4. MW landed that 15th-round punch and JT was never, never the same again.

Bottomline! I don't believe that Sergio Marquez will be the same again after taking that last round beat down that he did. And he wants to disguise that by moving on. Dude and his team are gettin' on dey [sic] optical illusions and tricks of da trade. SM got busted-up pretty badly in that last round. He knows the deal, and will never be able to fully heal.

One round or one fight can take a whole lot of fight outta an ancient pugilist. Let's have a rematch, and measure how much was taken out of SM. Besides, the old buzzer will make ton of more money fighting Junior in a rematch than calling Miguel Cotto. Holla!

Radam G says:

Welcome back d69! Holla!

ultimoshogun says:

Gotta say i'm disappointed with Junior, he coulda smoked all the dope he wanted when the job was done. To me this shows his lack of commitment to the sport. Chavez Sr. outta chew his *** out and ask him if his heart is really 100% in boxing.

puncher says:

It takes one PUNCH, and there is long history trail of that. I'm reminded of how Jersey Joe Walcott beat the stuffing out of Rocky Marciano for 12 rounds. But in round 13, the ROCK landed that punch and the claimed-to-be 38-year-old JJW was never the same again. And what about "Big" John Tale? He whipped da hebejeebeez outta Mike Weaver for 14 rounds and 3/4. MW landed that 15th-round punch and JT was never, never the same again.

Bottomline! I don't believe that Sergio Marquez will be the same again after taking that last round beat down that he did. And he wants to disguise that by moving on. Dude and his team are gettin' on dey [sic] optical illusions and tricks of da trade. SM got busted-up pretty badly in that last round. He knows the deal, and will never be able to fully heal.

One round or one fight can take a whole lot of fight outta an ancient pugilist. Let's have a rematch, and measure how much was taken out of SM. Besides, the old buzzer will make ton of more money fighting Junior in a rematch than calling Miguel Cotto. Holla!

The two examples you provided where they knockouts? I think so...big difference. SM is the Champ like it or not and as for Jason...he is in the trunk of the old buzzer...not in the driving seat.

The only way SM can be challanged is by somebody that cuts out the ring and throws punches...not having his face hit with punches like Jason!

Saludos!

Radam G says:

1st! Dude MISSED the WHOLE point!

Goooo TELL it on da mountain! Gooo TELL it on sea! OMFG! I gotta peepee!

WTF! Radam G -- the ONE and ONLY -- has a psycho-SM-groupie stalker. Sergio Martinez couldn't wear the jock strap of the late, great Mickey Walker.

Danggit! I pick up more stalkers than sand in the desert, salt in the sea, plasma in blood, stink in shyt. Deze [sic] muthajokers oughta' QUIT!!!

Later for a fatal attraction. What da double fudge REACTION! Da mudsucka is on my arse like JASON! Just maybe I need a Perry Mason. Holla!

Shoulder Roll Defense says:

It is the skills that pay the bills and Martinez is in the MLB while Chavez is still playing double A ball. I don't care to see this match up again because it will be the same result, Martinez by UD. Chavez's odds of beating Martinez are about as good as me hitting the California Lotto, holler!

spit bucket says:

Possible suspension not withstanding, the emotional climate will be very different if they fight again. Sergio had a vendetta against Jr. and was full of fire and fury. He was hugging Chavez after the fight and things have now changed... the anger has subsided. Chavez knows he can knock him out and so does Sergio. Martinez now respects his heart, toughness, and power. Also felt it wasn't quite as one sided as I had heard. Jr. landed some hard punches in the fight prior to the dramatic 12th. They also both now know that Martinez, with all his speed, skill, and craftiness, can't stun Jr. A very different table setting next time around and a more interesting and competetive fight. Chavez looked huge...